Actress and host Keke Palmer has partnered with Beyfortus to raise awareness about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) protection for infants.
She also shared insights into her approach to motherhood and her long career in Hollywood.
RSV is a common seasonal illness that leads to the hospitalization of 2 percent to 3 percent of infants under 6 months old annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Palmer chose the preventive antibody treatment for her 3-year-old son, Leo, after learning about the risks associated with the infection.
"The healthy decisions are across the board, from the food that I think about eating, that my son watches me eat, and that I'm giving to him," Palmer said.
She emphasized the importance of self-care and modeling positive routines for her child.
"He has a different diet than me. I'm a pescatarian, and that's by choice, but I pretty much have him eat everything.
It's also the way that I live my life," she said.
"He knows that sometimes mommy's at work, but sometimes she's going and getting a massage. My son and I love going bike riding together.
All the ways that health shows up, I'm involved."
"It's made me much better myself because the way that I love my son is the way that I realized that I should be loving myself," Palmer added.
Palmer noted the necessity of being informed through medical professionals or digital resources like beyfortus. com.
"I don't know that it's something that you know immediately.
Maybe some moms do, but I think I was so excited about the whole like, I created a little person thing, and watching them grow up," she said.
"I don't really think I thought about all the ways that I would see my life reflected back to me through helping this child become their own person, and the realities of them being their own person, and that my real job is to, like, make sure I'm holding them, protecting them and supporting them."
"Being informed and having the resources is a big way that I want to show up, and that I try to show up for Leo," Palmer said.
Palmer partnered with Sanofi specifically to help reach Black and Hispanic communities, which statistically show lower rates of preventive protection despite high infant hospitalization numbers.
"I wouldn't say it was a hard topic to approach.
I didn't know a lot about respiratory syncytial virus at all, other than having seen it on the news, but as you're becoming a new mom, you're hearing it causes serious lung infection.
It starts off as a cold ... how do I actually help to protect my baby against that?"
she said.
"That's when I found out about Beyfortus, which is a preventative antibody. I just asked the questions.
But I will say I'm not afraid of that kind of thing."
"I want to know what's available for me and what's best for my baby.
And so ultimately, I felt that that was the best way to protect Leo," Palmer said.
She cautioned against judgment among parents when discussing medical care and individual health choices.
"When you were asking, 'Was it difficult?'
it's not, because I believe in preventative antibodies and the ways that I can protect my child, and I have a good relationship with my doctors, which I think is an important thing to mention, especially when you're thinking about Black and Brown communities that don't always have those good relationships," she said.
"That's why I always say on top of that to ask questions to your community, think hard about it, go places like beyfortus.
com to get more information if you don't feel that confident about your relationship with your doctors.
Or, get multiple opinions from other doctors or people that you know so that you can make the best informed decision," Palmer added.
Palmer reiterated that open communication should center on empowerment rather than fear tactics.
"A big part of why I wanted to partner with Sanofi was because I am a Black woman.
These Black and Hispanic communities are having lower rates of protection. That's worrisome, right?"
she said.
"That shouldn't be the case, especially when it comes to something like RSV, that is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in babies under 1.
Again, it's not about fear mongering, but the truth of the matter is, you want people to know everything they can and to have the best information.
So be loud about what's helped you."
"Be informative about what you think could be helpful, but then also be sensitive to the fact that everybody has a different way of feeling what's best for protecting their child.
I don't believe in fear mongering. You're doing what you think is best for your child.
I'm sharing something that I think could be helpful. You take," Palmer said.
Beyond her health advocacy, the 33-year-old performer is balancing a career spanning over two decades alongside running a production company and her podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer.
"I'm super excited about what's coming up soon, which is me starting The 'Burbs," Palmer said.
The project marks the second season of her comedy-mystery production.
"I'm also looking forward to working on music and doing my podcast. I love doing my podcast," she said.
Palmer began her professional acting journey at age 10 in Barbershop 2: Back in Business, later gaining widespread recognition in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee and Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP.
"There are great conversations and guests that are going to be coming there," Palmer said.
Maintaining enthusiasm across multi-faceted projects remains a key focus for the entertainer as her career progresses.
"I'm just glad to really still be able to do what I love and be excited about it when I've been doing it for 20-plus years.
It can get stale, if you're not careful," she said.
Palmer raises her son Leo following a previous relationship with Darius Jackson.
